Monsters University

Monsters University Movie Review from Disney / Pixar, Pre-Screening Attended…

Sequels or prequels are always a touchy subject, especially if it’s connected with a well-loved movie. Monsters University had some big shoes to fill as a prequel to Monsters Inc. How did it measure up? I’d say it was a worthy continuation of the story. It wasn’t better or worse but flowed nicely into the Monsters Inc. story we all know and enjoy. The first thing my daughter said after the movie was over was, “That was a pretty good second movie!” Well said, well said, Munchkin.

The story follows Mike and his aspiration to be a great scarer, graduating from the esteemed Monsters University. By the way, little Mike is ADORABLE! He finally gets into the college of his dreams and is accepted into the Scaring Program. Things don’t go so right when James P. Sullivan (aka “Sulley”) enters his life. They are complete opposites with Mike having to work extremely hard and not being scary at all while Sulley coasts through life on his father’s reputation and is a natural scarer. Rivalry ensues.

A particular run-in with the pristine, yet intimidating, Dean Hardscrabble leaves both expelled from the Scaring Program. Mike and Sulley, together with their new fraternity brothers of Oozma Kappa (‘OK’ for short), will need to find their strengths and balance their weakness to prove their scariness worth to the whole school and to themselves.

You’re drawn into the story from the get-go. Mike is somewhat of a class outcast/runt and, when a top scarer singles him out, he decides then and there that his dream will be to follow in his footsteps. It’s so easy to relate to having an ultimate and working toward it. What happens, though, when it doesn’t pan out? Facing reality and the fact that you may not be cut out to attain that dream can be devastating.

Don’t worry, the movie is not all sappy and depressing. In true Monsters fashion, there’s a lot fun, humor, energy, and silliness. The new cast of characters is awesome, particularly the OK crew. You can’t help but love Squishy’s mom! The amount of creativity that went into the character design was massive. The featured fraternities/sororities were fantastic. I also loved how cameo appearance from ‘Inc.’ characters were perfectly placed. The animation, music, sounds, and effects were top-notch.

The only word of caution would be that there are bits of suspense and, with the setting in a Scare school with students majoring in scaring, some parts may frighten little ones. The Dean herself is pretty creepy with her hundreds of legs and huge bat-like wings. I did think this balanced out well in rounding out the story. Still, a few dark scenes with roaring monsters could be a bit much for sensitive eyes.

Another thing you’ll want to be careful about is your wallet. Why? Because, guaranteed, your child (and you) will want some Monsters University merchandise. I couldn’t believe that my 12-year-old daughter was asking for a ‘Mike’ plush. Weird…

While Monsters University could not stand on it’s own as a blockbusters, it’s a worthy prequel that is both enjoyable and nostalgic. If you love Monsters Inc. you can’t NOT see this one too! To heighten your experience, be sure to check out the behind-the-scenes look I got with the director, producer, artists, and more under #MonstersUEvent. Also, enjoy the giveaway I have for you below – it’s from the swag I got at the event including:

• Monsters University Notebook
• Monsters University “Sulley” Figure
• Infinity “Mike” Piece
• Infinity T-Shirt XL

Monsters University & The Blue Umbrella are in theaters now! For more info check the social links below:

• “Like” Monsters University on Facebook
• “Like” The Blue Umbrella on Facebook
• “Follow” @Disney/Pixar on Twitter

 
I was invited to a complimentary pre-screening and allowed to bring one guest. All opinions are 100% my own.